(A/N My chapters were so short they were annoying me, so went back and I merged long day I with II, and the long night I with II, to be honest they were together to begin with, shrug but they looked much longer on Microsoft word. If you've already read the story which had 7 chapters I reduced it to 6, so basically I've added 2 new ones. )
(A/N2 Sorry if I freaked anybody out, didn't mean to, was just moving things around:
For any distress caused: here another new chapter ;))
In the midst of Terminal City's siege, while Transgenics are being hunted down like the animals they are supposed to be, and the coming days seem darker Max and Alec are confronted with a parting gift from Manticore that neither believed possible, a baby.
Cassandra
Cassandra, Y, Mona
Female
33
Blond
Height 5"7
Weight 11 St
Address: Wyoming…
"Excuse me; do you mind moving things along?"
The police officer slanted a look down at the woman in the car.
"Are you in a hurry to be somewhere?"
The woman sat back and gave a twisted little smile, and said vaguely "everybody's got to be somewhere."
"Well I'm just checking things over ma'am."
The woman sat back and started to tap an uneven beat on the wheel of her car. He peered into the back of the car, blankets and boxes, were heaped onto the back seat.
"Have a nice day ma'am."
She only looked up dazed.
"Are you alright?"
Her empty eyes were an answer enough.
"Watch your speed now." He said stepping away from the car.
…
When he was just a spec in rear view mirror, she heaved a silent sigh of relief, but she couldn't stop them, when the memories just started to flood in.
I participated in the creation of this experiment…
"Mona. This is your subject patient for the duration of her stay here at Manticore. Her name is irrelevant Rhea, serial number C243" remember it well the old doctor smiled down at the patient.
Cassandra also smiled, the Manticore smile that all them scientists cultivated, and reached her hand out to shakes the patients hand.
"Welcome to the programme-" Anna, her smile froze on her face "Your doing such a wonderful thing for a childless couple," she recovered, reciting what she had learnt by heart, the lies which contributed to the Manticore of today. "Our research here is among the forefront of genetic engineering, you are making dreams come true. My name is Dr Mona; and I will be working with Dr Green."
The subject Rhea smiled, the light not quite reaching her eyes. Cassandra searched for something anything more.
Dr Green nodded and walked out of the room, his cool gaze on Cassandra. After only a moments hesitation she stood up and nodded sharply; this is what I've been working for.
"It's been a pleasure to meet you." She smiled.
…
It is one of the few prototypes developed after the main DNA lab was destroyed…
"I had a dog once." Startled Cassandra looked up, C243 rarely initiated conversations. "A beautiful thing with a coat like toffee and large brown eyes, like yours." C243 was lying back, watching the clouds from her window as Manticore drugs were being pumped through her. "She was old and quiet, just, lay around most days." She gave a funny little smile
Cassandra paused what she was doing, she didn't talk with C243 as she would with the others, and the resemblances were just too uncanny...
"But you knew she was around even if she was just lying there, she'd give you comfort. Hope."
The machine made a noise, indicating that the round of drugs were finishing up, C243 looked at her, her green eyes calm and steady. "You remind me of her."
Cassandra paused on her way to the door.
"I had a sister once" said Cassandra quietly, suddenly deciding to remain in the room for the remaining half an hour - before the next course needed to be administered - instead of leaving as she usually would. Why she stayed, and why she decided to share this information with the subject, she still didn't know… "She was headstrong and confident, but quiet and restrained. Her eyes were… calming." She paused, "you remind me of her."
Cassandra took in the mild surprise in the subjects eyes.
"Do you know what Rhea means?" said the subject suddenly
"No." Cassandra said.
"Flowing," she snorted and looked dubiously at Cassandra "but not all names mean what they mean, do they?"
Cassandra shook her head how could two people be so alike? She then cracked a small smile "I guess not." She said sedately.
"I'm stuck here right now." Said the woman, hands resting on the large oval of a stomach were Manticore progeny grew, her expression a cross between indignation and exasperation.
"I guess you are." Cassandra replied.
C243 threw her a slanted look "but not forever, I drift with the best of them. I'll see the world."
Cassandra was silent, the machine shrilled and the woman smiled.
"That's it for a few days." Said Cassandra, she paused at the door and said quietly:
"Goodbye Rhea"
"Goodbye Cassandra," was the soft reply…
She was halfway down the hall way before she remembered she had never told any of the women her name.
…
The project was then moved to the Seattle base and was to be relocated…
"But what's going on!"
Sirens were shrilling; the air was heavy with thick smoke and screams.
"Move! Move! Move!"
Bodies shoving into her.
"Damn it I'm not moving until I get some answers!"
A rough hand grabs her arm and pulls her towards heavy metal doors.
"Code number 34562589" the soldier rounded off.
"We're under attack?" Was the rough reply
She feels as if she were choking… all her hopes… her dreams…
"What about the surrogates?" She said suddenly, a disgusting mix of hope and dread, combined with other unidentifiable emotions lit up in her eyes.
"Director Renfro has issued that the surrogate Group IC and their support group are to be evacuated and relocated as of now."
Her feet started moving again, she allowed herself to be roughly pulled forwards.
"Where are we? - How are we-?"
He stopped; figure ridged with tension and… maybe, excitement.
"Dr Cassandra Mona, second scientist in command within group 41 3IC. We have no time left to waste; if your research means anything to you for God's sake get moving." He grated, "I don't need to remind you that as of now, you are now my responsibility. Talking from this point onwards is unauthorised. Unless I say other wise."
…
What happened after the base went down is irrelevant.
The gunshots wouldn't stop firing, and the shadows looked more sinister as time went by.
They wouldn't tell them what was going on… but they were being hunted, and it seemed that death itself was there predator.
She closed her eyes, willing the tears to stop, she remembered everything.
She held the bundle closer to her heart trembling "Come on!" She shouted the cold night air eerily heavy and consuming. "Come on!"
Surrogate C589 stepped back from the opening, shaking her head
"We're staying here." She said fiercely
"What" Cassandra breathed, her panic intensifying as she heard the noises growing louder and closer to their location.
"What the fuck is this?" the surrogate said in a low voice, her eyes wide, clutching at the baby in her arms "what the hell is this?" she rasped, her tone and unnatural glimmer in her eyes made it clear that the woman was no longer in touch with her surroundings, or reality.
"Danielle." Cassandra said, stumbling over her name, "Danielle!" she said urgently. The woman looked up at her, a twisted smile adorning her face.
"Did you think we didn't know? That she didn't know? Picked off one by one, like fucking animals, you people were dying to protect these things... throwing your live away! Did you think we were idiots? We knew what we were worth; girls that no one cared about, had nothing to lose except the thing some people may call freedom." She all but screamed, "the price was too fucking high! Is this what you want to protect?!? " She said holding the dirty bundle up, "Is this the future?"
"No!" Cassandra shouted out horrified… but it was too late…
The blood pooled around surrogate C589, as she sat on the floor rocking her backwards and forwards. Her hands were motioning in the way in which a person would do when bathing.
Dark figures moved slowly, to surround the broken woman… it was too late.
Cassandra stepped back jerkily, stumbling into the darkness, clutching something precious, as the darkness enveloped them.
…
All creatures given life deserve the right to be able to live free from cages,
Free from captivity.
The birth was long and difficult, the baby was healthy, the surrogate however…
Rhea clutched at Cassandra's arm, weakly pulling here towards her.
"All creatures given life deserve the right to be free from cages and free from captivity…" she rasped, when the baby was removed from the room by a scientist, a tear trickled down the side of her face.
"Appearances are deceptive… even if you are just the vessel, allow this child to be free." She said drawing in a rugged breath. "Promise."
"Ok" Cassandra whispered, smoothing back her hair "ok."
"Promise me!"
"I promise!" Cassandra said in a low voice.
Rhea lay back and sighed "Rivers don't always meet the sea you know." She smiled softly, and as she breathed out her last breath Cassandra felt like she had been left by the same soul for the second time in her lifetime..
…
She wiped the tears from her eyes. Three counties' away and she still felt the danger, hovering over her heart. She wished for them a future and a painless death at the end of it, and for her, she wished there was such a thing as peace.
